Page 36 of Little Last Words
“I have no idea. I didn’t recognize the number. I tried to call, but no one answered.”
“Do you still have the number on your phone?” I asked.
“Maybe.”
“Can I see it?”
“No.”
It was worth a shot.
“How do you think Penelope’s family will feel about you being here?” I asked.
He tipped his head toward Sadie, who was squinting at us from the opposite end of the room. It looked like she was trying to figure out if it was some random man or her father standing next to me.
Realization hit, and Dean said, “We’re about to find out.”
“Daddy! Daddy!” Sadie screamed.
She jumped out of her grandmother’s arms and ran toward us.
Dean bent down and lifted Sadie up, showering her with kisses and saying, “Are you all right, honey? I’ve missed you so much.”
Glancing around the room, many in attendance gasped, the horror of Dean’s presence reflected on their faces.
For a moment, it was like time stood still.
No one talked.
No one moved.
Then the whispers began, followed by Angelica racing in our direction.
She addressed me first, her voice raised as she said, “How could you?”
“How could Iwhat?” I asked.
“Bring him here.”
“I didn’t bring him here.”
“Don’t lie to me. What are you playing at?”
“I’m not playing at anything,” I said.
“How could you be so cruel when you know what we’re going through right now?”
“I’m telling you the truth,” I said. “I don’t know him. We just met a few minutes ago when he walked through the door and stood next to me.”
“It’s true,” Dean said. “All I know about this woman is that she’s Penelope’s neighbor.”
Angelica shifted her attention from me to him, hands on hips as she said, “You have some nerve, boy. Now you listen to me. You have no right to be here. Put my granddaughter down this minute, turn around, and leave, understand?”
Dean put Sadie down, but he made no attempt to exit the building. Instead, he smacked Angelica’s shoulder with his own as he breezed past her, walking toward the front of the room. Penelope’s father, who was still standing at the podium, seemed unsure about what to say or do, so he did nothing.
All eyes were on Dean as he rushed toward Penelope’s casket.
He threw himself over it, the tears flowing as he yelled, “I’m sorry, darling. I mean it. I’m sorry for getting mad at you that night and other nights. I’ll never forgive myself for not treating you like the queen you are. All I want in this world is to turn back time so we can have a second chance to be together again.”